Trans. problem ??...

Liberty02sport · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2019 8:12 pm

OK, here we go...2006 CRD 193K miles, timing belt has been replaced and just replaced the fuel head with the Gen2 with updated wiring plugs a few months ago.

Last week I go out to move the CRD so I could get the gasser out of the garage and give it some drive time. I start the CRD and go forward about 50ft. then stop, shift into reverse to back it behind the garage, and it shakes violently and kills the engine. I sit there for a few mins. wondering what just happened while running worst case scenarios thru my head. Took a few minutes then decided to restart engine, which seemed fine and settles into it's usual idle. So far no problems...Shift into reverse again & everything goes normally as if the shaking had never happened...?????..What gives ??

So I do some driving around town over the weekend and no problems. Today I go over to a buddy's house in a town 30 mins. down the road & stop to drop some mail at the post office. I leave the CRD running, go in & come back out, get in Jeep & shift into reverse and notice a low grade vibration while in reverse that smooths out then disappears when placed in drive. As I was leaving my buddy house after being there most of the day the same thing happened, Started it up gave it a min. to bring up trans. pres.sure, shifted into reverse, and noticed a low grade vibration was still there, it remained for about 15-20 seconds after placed in drive then went away entirely.

Drove fine all the way home. Had to swap vehicles with the SO, and was hesitant to try shifting to reverse fearing it would go out completely or start the violent shaking that killed the engine last week. Nothing happened. Shifted back into drive with no issues...

I have no idea when the trans was last serviced, if ever. Bought the jeep from a local used car lot and have been going thru it doing repairs & service as the budget allows. Only info I came up with in a search was this thread... viewtopic.php?f=5&t=80940

So I'm not sure if this is a drain back valve issue, a TC issue, or a larger issue trans. issue. Anyone else have this happen ?? Thanks.

ebbnflow · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2019 8:27 pm

Stalling on the first drive of the day, while coming to the first stop (feels like you didn't push in the clutch on manual) is classic drain back issue. Not sure about your other symptoms.

The drain back work around is to put it in neutral and rev the engine 1500-2000 rpm for 10-15 seconds should make it not happen.

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Liberty02sport · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2019 8:52 pm

ebbnflow wrote:

Stalling on the first drive of the day, while coming to the first stop (feels like you didn't push in the clutch on manual) is classic drain back issue. Not sure about your other symptoms.

The drain back work around is to put it in neutral and rev the engine 1500-2000 rpm for 10-15 seconds should make it not happen.

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If the drain back workaround doesn't help where else should I start looking ?? I would have thought that driving for 30 mins. at speeds between 45-60mph would have trans. pressures up enough for the drain back issue to not be a factor, at that point the engine & trans would be at operating temp. for both or am I missing something ??

The low-grade vibration that occurred as I was leaving the post office was after a 30 min. drive at highway speeds, sitting at idle in park for no more than a minute max, and then being shifted into reverse...which induced the slight vibration. Not as bad as the initial first time it did it, which was about exactly as a newbie learning to drive a manual. I was thinking that the drain back issue occurred only at initial cold startup ?? Or am I wrong on that. Thanks.

ETA: It doesn't do it when coming to a stop at say a light or stop sign, it did it both after being driven for 30 min., shifting into park, then being shifted into reverse & after it had been sitting all day when shifted into reverse.. When I left my buddy's house it had been sitting pretty much all day and I started it up, gave it a min. for things to get up to pressure then shifted into reverse and same low-grade vibration as when it had been running for 30 min. then stopped to idle for no more then a min., shifted to reverse. Condition is occurring whether it's up to operating temp or on initial startup.

GordnadoCRD · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2019 9:26 pm

The trans in a CRD 545rfe is different from the early gasser trans 42rle. I don't know if the 42rle has the same dipstick problem that the 545rfe does. The 545rfe has a dipstick that is a couple inches too long, (commonly causes them to vibrate up out of the tube) and has the levels mis-marked on the dipstick. (At least a quart too low)

These are all issues you can verify and deal with in a single transmission service, after which you will have a better idea of the trans condition, confidence that your filters are new and working properly, know that the fluid level is correct, and that the dipstick will stay put.

TKB4 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2019 11:08 pm

The cure, if it is a drain back problem is to install a new style front pump in transmission and torque converter transgo kit while you are there. If filters dirty etc pressure may be low even after driving extended period. Either way first thing I would do is change transmission fluid and filters using only ATF 4 transmission fluid and personally I would undo transmission cooler line so that you can do a full flush for about 14 quarts of fluid this will get fluid in torque converter changed totally. Put drain in trans pan while you have it off so that you can change it easier next time. If you don't do exchange I would change fluid and filter with about 5or 6 quarts fluid run a few miles and do the same 2 more times which will change about 80 % of the fluid. Then overfill the transmission 1 to 2 quarts extra ATF above the full mark. You might also try reading codes to see if trans code is stored even though it may not tell you exactly whats wrong with trans.

Some have installed a check valve in the transmission return line and sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. The new filter may also help because most have a check valve built in and old one may be nonfunctional now.

If changing fluid and adding more fluid doesn't help I recommend taking to good trans shop for diagnosis.

TKB4 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2019 11:16 pm

The cure, if it is a drain back problem is to install a new style front pump in transmission and torque converter transgo kit while you are there. If filters dirty etc pressure may be low even after driving extended period. Either way first thing I would do is change transmission fluid and filters using only ATF 4 transmission fluid and personally I would undo transmission cooler line so that you can do a full flush for about 14 quarts of fluid this will get fluid in torque converter changed totally. Put drain in trans pan while you have it off so that you can change it easier next time. If you don't do exchange I would change fluid and filter with about 5or 6 quarts fluid run a few miles and do the same 2 more times which will change about 80 % of the fluid. Then overfill the transmission 1 to 2 quarts extra ATF above the full mark. You might also try reading codes to see if trans code is stored even though it may not tell you exactly whats wrong with trans.

Some have installed a check valve in the transmission return line and sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn't. The new filter may also help because most have a check valve built in and old one may be nonfunctional now.

If changing fluid and adding more fluid doesn't help I recommend taking to good trans shop for diagnosis.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2019 11:59 pm

Stalling the engine out after a cold start and driving a few hundred feet is a classic front pump problem on these transmissions. There are some small plungers inside bores in the front pump that wear out and stick and for some reason try to lock up the torque converter so when you come to a stop it will kill or stall the engine just like driving a straight shift and and not depressing the clutch petal in while still in gear. Had this same issue on mine way back in 13 before replacing the front pump with the new style and a SunCoast torque converter.
Also one of the first actions to strange transmission operations is to add some extra ATF+4 fluid. You can run this transmission with quite a bit of extra fluid, and it won't hurt anything, this is a BIG transmission. Adding extra ATF+4 fluid actually can help alleviate your problem in some cases but then again it may not totally solve it.

545RFE_FrontPumpExploded

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